Torn Between Two
by Incandescence in Dullness
Summary: AU in which Barbara is new to Gotham Academy. Having no prior knowledge about the hierarchy of a basic highschool, she has to navigate Gotham's turbulent waters, with her newfound friend Cassie. But when she falls for Dick Grayson, Babs may be unable to handle this situation; Dick's girlfriend, Zatanna, happens to be her best friend as well. DickxBabs, DickxZatanna.
1. Chapter 1

Barbara Gordon looked around in awe. Gotham Academy definitely lived up to its prestigious recordings and claims. Her parents were immersed in jubilation when she had received the ostentatious acceptance letter admitting her to the respected school. Her light footsteps padded on the cobbles placed artfully on the ground. Barbara took meticulous notice of how the other students held themselves and how they interacted with one another.

Barbara wasn't very social, to say at the very least.

She clutched her books to her chest like her last lifeline and proceeded to walk past nameless faces, keeping her gaze trained on the ground. All of the school's nooks and crannies were engrained in Barbara's mind; she didn't want to risk completely humiliating herself on the first day of school. She had been homeschooled all her life. Her head lifted momentarily to check the room number hanging conspicuously on the door.

Her feet trudged into the classroom begrudgingly. Barbara was nervous—per se, terrified. Barbara's head remained low, and she hoped it was undetectable. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

"Hey! I haven't seen you around before!" A sinewy, blonde girl turned around. "What's your name, new girl?"

Barbara blushed at the girl's volume and her indifference. "Barbara Gordon."

"Ooh, that's such a pretty name. I'm Cassandra Sandsmark. Call me Cassie, though." She gestured to the seat next to her and Barbara took this a sign to sit down. Cassie swung her legs from the aisle and positioned her body so she was facing forward, yet she kept her head turned towards Barbara.

"Well, as long as we're on a nickname basis, call me Babs." Barbara allowed her face to mirror Cassie's mirthful grin.

"So. First year here, huh? Where'd you go before this?" Cassie inquired while resting her thoroughly calloused hand on a densely doodled binder.

"Homeschooled," replied Babs shortly.

"Wow. Wonder what that's like," Cassie mused with no sign of belittlement in her tone.

"Eh, not that great. I'm nervous about starting at a school—for the first time."

"You have nothing to worry about. I mean, you've probably heard of an average high school hierarchy and all that crap, but it's just a bunch of people here. You'll fit in fine," Cassie shrugged.

"I don't know…" Babs said skeptically. "It seems pretty intimidating."

"It's not. Don't worry. Hey—can I see your schedule real quick? I want to see if we have any other classes together." Cassie hastily perused Babs's timetable. Her eyes lingered on the center of the page and instantaneously lit up remarkably. "We have gym and history together."

On the inside, Barbara let out an allayed sigh. She didn't have to go through this day completely alone. "Wow. That's relieving," she breathed. The teacher walked in, effectively cutting their conversation short, but as the period trudged on, Cassie cast Babs reassuring looks and goofy faces. Maybe Gotham Academy would be all right.

* * *

"Babs, look out!" Yeah, Barbara _really _wished she'd heard Cassie's warning sooner. She blinked and a hazy film coated her vision. A groan escaped her mouth and a familiar head poked its way into her line of sight. "Babs?" Cassie's voice sounded like a loud alarm in her head. "Oh my gosh, um, quick, tell me how many fingers I'm holding up!" She immediately held up her first and second finger while looking imploringly at Babs.

"Two," Babs rolled her eyes.

"SHE'S ALIVE!" Cassie exclaimed, proffering her hand. Babs gladly accepted and stood up on her foot, wobbling around. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She grimaced and examined her—now red—calf. "What actually happened?"

"Well," Cassie bit her lip, "Dick threw a ball, like, really hard, and it kind of smacked you in the face."

"Um, ouch." Babs looked around, palpably abashed. "And you don't have to call him a dick because he hit me. I'm sure it was an accident."

Cassie giggled. "That's his _name_!"

"Oops," she smiled sheepishly. Babs quickly regained balance but was soon caught off guard—yet again.

"Hey," came a smooth, deep voice. She whipped around to see a tall guy, around her age smiling at her with an apologetic occupying his features. "I'm really sorry I hit you. I've always had bad aim…what's your name? I don't remember seeing you—at all."

"Well, um, that's quite all right. I mean, I'm fine now…not that I wasn't fine before but—uh, I'm Barbara Gordon, call me Babs." She had managed to string out that sentence in less than two breaths.

"I'm Dick—"

"Grayson! Get back to your team!" the coach shouted gruffly, his words emphasized with a loud whistle.

"Gotta go," he said, flashing a quick smile at both Babs and Cassie before running off. Barbara couldn't help but ogle him as he ran towards the other side of the gym. She turned to Cassie with an upbraiding look before she could even begin speaking.

"Shut up!" Babs chided, poking Cassie's muscular arm.

"How did you even know I was going to say anything?" Cassie demanded indignantly, a mock pout plastered on her face.

"Because I've known you for two hours, and that's enough," Babs chuckled.

"Well, you're right because did you _see _the way he smiled at you?!" she squealed joyously, jumping off the ground.

"That was to the both of us," Babs pointed out, hoping to be the sensible one in the matter.

"I don't care, his eyes were _drilling _into yours! It was adorable!" she cooed, puckering up her lips in Barbara's face.

"Ew," Babs giggled, pushing her out of the way. "There was no such drilling! And it most certainly was not adorable. All he did was apologize for knocking me in the leg with a ball."

"Aw, how romantic," Cassie cooed.

Babs rolled her eyes at the ingénue. "You're hopeless." She couldn't help but smile.

"But in all seriousness, he totally wants the V," Cassie stated, deadly serious. Her eyes were wide and she was nodding profusely.

Babs couldn't help but snicker. "The V?" She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Well, I _know _so. From no on, I'm calling you V because his name is Dick and you two should match," Cassie said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"You're crazy," Barbara sighed, flicking her forehead.

"At least I'm not in denial!" Cassie sung.

* * *

Zatanna Zatara scoffed at her TV-obsessed friend.

"What, so you _didn't _enjoy last night's Pretty Little Liars?" Rocky exclaimed, her voice pure indignation. She wrung her hands up in frustration to accentuate her point.

"No, I did," Zatanna said, "it just wasn't the best episode." She shrugged nonchalantly, hastily stuffing her books in her locker.

"Come on, Zee! Toby and Spencer were so adorable together," Rocky insisted, nudging her friend's side.

"Well, it was _cute _how Toby did everything to protect her," Zatanna relented. She adjusted her backpack strap on her shoulder.

Rocky sighed, nostalgia written all over her face. "I wish I had a boyfriend like that," she pouted. Her eyes trailed over Zatanna's shoulder, lingering on something—_someone_, rather. "Speaking of which…"

"Hey Zatanna." She turned around to see a smiling Dick walking towards her.

"Hi," Zatanna greeted, kissing him on the cheek.

Rocky raised her eyebrows for a minuscule fraction of a second before regaining herself. "Well, I'm going to leave you two, um, lovebirds to your business. Bye Zee, by Dicky-poo." With a backwards wave, she was off to her next class.

"Will she _ever _stop calling me Dicky-poo?" Dick inquired even though he knew the answer already.

"That's like asking if I'll ever pass stupid Algebra this year," Zatanna scoffed, beginning to walk down the hall. "By the way, I heard you hit someone in the face with a dodge ball today."

"Oh, yeah," Dick said, blushing. "I didn't mean to. I apologized though!"

"Who was it?"

"New girl. Her name's Barbara."

Zatanna stopped walking for a millisecond. "Pretty name."

"Yeah."

* * *

**A/N: Oookay, so I am completely aware that this story has like a bajillion inaccuracies and things, but I modified (many) things to make it fit with the plot that I have in mind. Oh, and I don't hate Zatanna or Dick or Barbara (actually they're all bamfs and I would totally hug them if I had the chance), this story is not bashing on any character whatsoever. Okay. Have a nice day. :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okie dokie, so I'd like to start off this chapter with an apology. I wrote like half of this while it was basically three in the morning…I'm sure it shows in some parts. Oh, and a MASSIVE THANK YOU to those who have followed or favorited (like three people lol) and to Tinteii, speedreader1999, and KeepCalmAndLoveRedHood for the lovely reviews. c:**

* * *

Zatanna sighed listlessly and crossed her legs. Her eyes focused in on the board, but she wasn't actually seeing anything. The foreign letters and numbers were too much for her to take in, and she had no clue what was going on. Zatanna looked down at her own paper and was completely lost.

"Miss Zatara? Is there a problem?" Mrs. Dennel, the teacher asked kindly.

"Um, no. I'm fine," she managed to say.

Mrs. Dennel peered at her over her glasses. "Would you like me to go over any of the problems?"

Zatanna quickly looked down at her test and saw all the red x marks. _How about all of them? _"Uh, could you go over number four, please?"

Mrs. Dennel nodded, rotating around to begin writing. "…And then you just divide both sides of the equation by sixteen, and your answer is twenty-nine over two." She turned to face Zatanna once more. "Understand?"

"Um, yeah. Thank you," she lied smoothly. Zatanna remained hopelessly jumbled and baffled for the rest of the period. When the bell—her savior—rung, she instantaneously groped around for her belongings and got ready to speed out of that class.

"Zatanna? Stay behind, please." She froze and was imbued with pure trepidation. People shot her sympathetic looks on their way out, which Zatanna deliberately ignored. She tapped her finger rather impatiently on her notebook, waiting to get this upbraiding over with as soon as possible. "So, you probably know why I'm talking to you. Miss Zatara, you're lagging behind in class already, you haven't done your homework, and it's only the fifth day of school."

"I know…I just don't _understand _math in general. The rules and formulas and everything just don't stick in my head," Zatanna sighed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Many students have a hard time with math, Miss Zatara," Mrs. Dennel said benevolently.

"Yeah, well I'm definitely one of them."

"Yes. In order to help you, I strongly suggest that you get a tutor. When I was around your age, I too struggled in math. So, I got a tutor and my grades improved drastically. And now, here I am," she said.

"Uh, I'd love to take you up on that idea, but I don't think a tutor is going to help in this case," Zatanna muttered.

"I'm sorry Miss Zatara, I am going to have to beseech you to get a tutor—if it doesn't work out, then you are permitted to stop."

Zatanna sighed deeply. "I guess I could. I'll just ask Rocky or Dick to help me."

"I don't advise having a close friend tutor you; it wouldn't be conducive to your studies. Try meeting someone new and ask him or her to teach you," Mrs. Dennel recommended. "Well, you'd better go on to your next class. Remember my advice!"

She whirled around and scurried out the door. "I will."

* * *

"Ugh!" Zatanna yelled in frustration. She fell—literally—into the vacant seat next to Rocky. "I can't believe this."

"Who pissed in your apple juice?" Rocky inquired casually, taking a sip of her water bottle.

"Mrs. Dennel. She's making me get a tutor for math because I'm 'lagging behind,'" she exclaimed indignantly, putting air quotes around the teacher's words.

"Okay. So, just ask Dick or me to help you," Rocky shrugged.

"Can't. She says it 'wouldn't be conducive to my studies,'" Zatanna sighed. She rested her head down on the table in despondency. "I don't need a stupid tutor. I am an independent girl who don't need no tutor!"

Rocky's placid expression contorted to one of horror. "Zee, please never say that again."

"I know," she groaned. "This tutor thing is messing with my head."

"Just get a tutor then. It can't be all that bad."

"I just don't look forward to all the quality time I'll be spending with lovely quadratics. It's bad enough."

"Zee, you'll be fine," Rocky assured.

"I hope so."

* * *

Babs couldn't help it—she was staring shamelessly at Dick. Only when he glanced over in her general direction did she look down at the ground, the faint blush barely perceivable upon her cheeks. She was so immersed in her inward daydream; she didn't her the loud bell ring.

"Babs! Earth to Barbara Gordon!" Cassie yelled, waving her hands zealously in front of Babs' face.

She snapped rather reluctantly out of her daze. "Huh?"

"Ooh, you were totally staring at Dick. You were—um, what was that vocabulary word?—_rubbernecking_ him!" Cassie squealed.

Babs opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it. "I'm not even going to deny it," she shrugged, unabashed.

"You've got it bad for the Dick," Cassie stated.

"I—yeah. I guess so," Babs admitted. For the past few days, she'd found herself walking faster in the hallways to catch up with him, always snagging the opportunity to sit next to him in class, and simply, well, _rubbernecking_ at him at times. "I guess I do."

"Well, he left his book in his desk. You should go return it to him," Cassie said, her tone mocking. "That way you can actually talk to him rather than staring at him like a puppy." They stood up and Babs quickly snatched the book from his desk. Sure enough, the name _Dick Grayson _had been scrawled on the cover messily. "I'll catch up with you later, Babs." She exited the room.

Babs clutched the old book to her chest and walked into the hallway, following the familiar blue of Dick's shirt. She dashed to his side. "Hey, Dick?"

He turned around and smiled kindly when he saw her. "Babs, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Um, you left your book in History," she informed lamely, holding out his book.

"Oh. Thanks—I would've been dead if I didn't have this book with me," he chuckled. Babs nearly grinned. The sound of his laugh was mellifluous and dulcet in her ears.

"No problem," she nodded. As he walked forward, a blush crept its way on her face. With a contented sigh, Babs marched into her Algebra class. When she sat down, she was too far steeped in her nostalgic longing to notice Mrs. Dennel's words.

"Miss Gordon?" The simulation cast by her daydreams shattered.

"Um, yes?"

Mrs. Dennel gestured for her to come up to her. Barbara complied hesitantly, although she wanted nothing more than to return to her seat and reverie some more. "Barbara, there is a girl in one of my earlier classes; she's not doing so well. For the past week you've been here, you have shown propensity for this class, and I really think that you should become her tutor."

"Uh…sure, I guess so. Who am I tutoring?"

"I'm not sure if you know her—Zatanna Zatara?"

"Nope, I've never seen her."

"Well, this will be an opportunity to make a new friend, won't it? I'll arrange for you two to meet up on the library tomorrow at three, please be there."

"I will." It wasn't like she had any other choice. Babs returned to her welcoming seat and got lost in her fantasizes once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Babs let out a gasp. Staring up at the large mansion, she couldn't help but feel the least bit intimidated. She stared at the paper on which she had written Zatanna's address with an intense gaze—Babs could've been drilling holes into it. The address was correct, but she dearly wished that Zatanna had lived in a more, _humble_, abode. Babs was a complete alien to the ostentations of a luxurious life. The house was made of white marble laced with the slightest tinge of pink, which conflated with the snow white of the windowsills. Babs considered herself highly daunted. She looked down self-consciously at her faded jeans and old shirt, feeling out of place as usual. While apprehension and qualms settled down in her stomach, she pushed herself to ring the doorbell.

Babs could hear feet bounding down stairs and just as she was about the ring the doorbell again, a fetching girl opened the door.

"Um, hi, I'm Barbara Gordon? I'm supposed to be your tutor?" It came out more like a question. Her palms beaded up with sweat, which she ungracefully wiped on her clothing.

"I'm Zatanna. Come in," she said, opening the door wider. As soon as Babs stepped through the door, she emitted what she hoped was a silent sigh. It was the stereotypical rich person house. She adjusted her backpack strap on her shoulder and mustering up all the backbone she didn't possess, Babs followed Zatanna further into her house.

After a dizzying encounter with some spiraling stairs, the two arrived at Zatanna's room. Babs entered, somehow feeling the need to tiptoe meticulously so she didn't ruin anything. "So, um, sit down if you want," Zatanna mumbled, hastily clearing her rather cluttered desk.

Babs slung her bag off her shoulder and sat down in front of the desk, Zatanna sitting down next to her. At a complete loss for what to say next, Babs decided to pretend to delve into her bag for something. Unfortunately, Zatanna had the same idea. They ended up colliding heads with one another and grasping each other's hands.

Zatanna giggled, withdrawing her hand. "You know, that would've been a perfect sappy love romance scene in a movie."

"Yeah, and then we both look up into each other's eyes and bam! Love at first sigh," Babs laughed, rolling her eyes. "I really hate romances."

"Really?" Zatanna raised her eyebrows. "They're not so bad."

Babs shrugged. "They're just not realistic."

"Hmm, I guess," she mused for a couple seconds. "Well, back to math."

"Right." Babs turned to the scattered papers on the desk. "So, do you need help with anything in particular?"

After a sluggish pause, Zatanna spoke, "Yeah. That test we just took, I kind of, well, I bombed it."

"Sure, can I see it?"

Zatanna pursed her lips and reluctantly handed the paper riddled with red marks and eraser marks to the girl. Babs perused the test with a blank expression and if she thought Zatanna foolish, she made no sign of it. "Well, you seem to have the most trouble with quadratics. So, why don't we start there?" Babs looked around and snatched a nearby pencil. "The question is 'x2 = 3x + 4'. First you would have to get all the terms to equal zero. I would personally move 3x and 4 over because I hate working with negative x2 terms…"

"So, then I'd subtract 3x and 4 from both sides of the equation?" Zatanna asked tentatively, biting her lip.

"Yeah," Babs nodded.

* * *

After a long hour filled with tedious math problems and sideline giggles, Zatanna's dad paid the two a visit.

"Come in," Zatanna replied nonchalantly to a sharp rapping on her door. Her father's head peered in through the door. "Hey Dad."

"Oh, I didn't know you had a visitor," he said, opening the door. "I'm Zatanna's father." He offered his hand to Babs, who hesitantly shook it.

"Hi, Mr. Zatara," Babs smiled, recalling her manners. "I'm Barbara Gordon."

"BARBARA GORDON!" Zatanna exclaimed, causing both her father and Babs to jump up in alarm. "Barbara Gordon! Dick told me about you!"

Babs nearly choked. "Uh—what?"

Mr. Zatara raised an eyebrow (and Babs couldn't help but note the profound similarity between the two). "Why did your boyfriend inform you about your friend?" _Yeah, I'd like to know the same thing, Mr. Zatara_, Babs thought.

"He told me about accidentally hitting you in the head! I know he apologized, but I'll apologize on his behalf again. Sorry!" Zatanna said.

"Well, I'm going to head out. I'll be back in a few hours, Zatanna. It was nice meeting you, Barbara," he said.

"Bye Dad!"

"Bye Mr. Zatara." As soon the sound of his car leaving the driveway was audible, Zatanna's eyes lit up.

"Okay, so you're either going to hate me or love me for this…" she started, standing up and walking to the other side of her massive room. A large stereo was located and Zatanna was zealously pressing buttons with a look filled with expectation on her face.

"What are you—?" Babs fell silent at the beginning of a song, which sounded noticeably like Taylor Swift. Zatanna snickered and ran over to Babs and grabbed her hand.

"Dance with me!" she shrieked, pulling a bewildered looking Babs up to her feet. Zatanna evinced a brazen bow, extending her hand to Babs. "Shalt thou so kindly join me in a dance?"

When she saw Zatanna's ridiculous pose, Babs allowed herself to grin. With a confident laugh, she executed an askew curtsey. "Of course," she responded with a ludicrous, unidentifiable accent. They interlocked hands and flounced around, completely disregarding the beat of the song playing.

Babs courageously lowered Zatanna into an ungraceful dip. However, her poor upper body strength failed her. Zatanna fell onto the ground. Instead of bursting out in tears, Zatanna erupted into giggles. "GET THEE TO A NUNNERY!" Babs screamed, extending a hand. Zatanna gladly accepted, but at the last moment, heaved Babs down to the ground next to her. "So, do you do this often?"

"What? Dance around in my room with random math tutors? No, it's not a regular occurrence or anything," Zatanna shrugged.

"Well, I'm flattered to be the first tutor you've danced with," Babs chuckled, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Who said you were the first?" Zatanna teased, raising her eyebrow.

"You know, normally I would be mad, but I really want you to teach me how to do that raising your eyebrow bit," Babs said, attempting to mirror Zatanna's expression.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I can help you with that. It's a talent that you're born with," she replied matter-of-factly. "But we can try." She positioned her finger on Babs' eyebrow. "Now, raise your right eyebrow, I'll hold your left one down."

Babs did as instructed.

Zatanna grimaced, "Be more dramatic!" she coached while simultaneously executing a flawless eyebrow rise.

Once again, Babs did what she was told, but this time she caused Zatanna to chuckle uncontrollably. "That tickles," Zatanna said feebly.

"Um, maybe the art of eyebrow raising _is _something you're born with—and I was definitely not born with it…" Babs said.

"I surmised that much," Zatanna nodded. They both got up off the ground. "OH MY GOSH THIS SONG!"

Babs listened closely—the music wasn't hard to hear, it was practically bursting her eardrums—and heard the song. "SHAWTY HAD THEM APPLE BOTTOM JEANS, BOOTS WITH THE FUR," Zatanna half-screamed, half-sung. "When did this song first come out?"

"I think, 2008?" Babs mused. "I was like ten when I first heard it."

"Oh, yeah I remember listening to it in gym class—we had to run to it," Zatanna said. After a couple seconds passed, a horrified expression contorted her features.

"Zatanna? What's wrong?"

"Just, just listen to the lyrics closely," she responded.

After a couple of seconds, Babs had the same petrified look on her face. "I really don't remember those lyrics."

"Be glad you didn't," Zatanna pointed out. "But, it's fun to dance to!" She flailed around. "Or twerk to," she coughed surreptitiously. Sticking out her butt, Zatanna hopped around the room.

Babs's eyes widened. "You look—"

"Lovely? Elegant? Fetching?" Zatanna supplied.

"Ridiculous," she said pointedly.

Zatanna strutted to where Babs was sitting. "Come on, join me!"

So, the two girls clumsily gamboled around on Zatanna's desk. The math papers they were so focused on an hour ago flew off but they paid no mind. Babs was never a good dancer, yet she floundered along with Zatanna, completely unabashed.

"Um, should I be confused?" Babs froze, mid-crotch grab and stood petrified in dismay. Dick Grayson ogled the two girls, looking positively flummoxed yet amused. Babs titled her chin up to see Zatanna locked in an absurd pose as well. The song kept on playing, making the whole situation more awkward than it had to be (although, it would've been sufficiently awkward put in any context.) "Need some help down?" Dick offered his hand to both girls and Babs's cheeks flushed red. She slid down with no assistance from the boy she was so afraid of facing.

"Uh, I-I have to leave." Babs hurriedly collected her belongings and raced out of the room before muttering a mortified "Goodbye" to both Dick and Zatanna. Heat crept up into her neck and Babs began her long, embarrassing walk home.


	4. Chapter 4

Babs burrowed her head in her arms in distress.

"Wait, so he walked in on you and Zatanna dancing?" Cassie said.

"Yes! It was so embarrassing. Like, I was being all stupid and dumb and then he just walked in on us and—" Her voice trailed off, and she stared at the ground again, palpably mortified. "I'll never be able to face him again."

"I'm just saying, I think Dick was pretty happy seeing you two." Cassie's remark earned a rebuking look and sharp prod from a scowling Babs. "Just stating the truth." She shrugged.

"Can I just jump in a ditch and die?" Babs cried, laying her head on a stack of books.

Her hair sprawled out, making her resemble a palm tree. Cassie rolled her eyes and pulled up Babs's head. "No, because then you wouldn't be able to talk to Dick and laugh with him about what happened."

"He probably _is _laughing!" Babs groaned. "Besides, he and Zatanna are already together. There's no point in trying to get between them."

Cassie scrutinized the situation, brooding silently for a few seconds. "Yeah, this is definitely an imbroglio."

"What's an imbroglio?"

"A complication," Cassie informed. "I think you should just go up to him, grab him by his collar, and pounce on him like the vixen you are!"

Babs simply gawked at her friend in response, aghast. "No—I don't think I'll do that," she said slowly.

"I was joking!" Cassie exclaimed defensively. "Either way, I think you should just get to know him like a friend. I mean, who knows, maybe Zatanna and Dick will break up and you'll be there to comfort him…" she saw the affronted look on Babs's face and quickly added, "but, I mean—that shouldn't be the reason you're going to be friends with him because—I—ugh, I just can't win this, can I?"

"You know, I _would _follow your advice and become friends with him. But the fact that I completely and utterly humiliated myself in front of him like that is the main factor in why I can _never _see his face in the light of the day again," Babs bemoaned.

"Okay." Cassie threw her arms up in surrender. "Fine. You have my approval to sulk around all day, wallowing in your own puddle of some sort of melancholic misery."

"Thank you," Babs huffed.

* * *

"You may choose your partners."

Immediately Babs looked over at Cassie who leaned over towards her. "Babs, you should pair up with Dick."

"What? No! He probably already has a partner. And remember, I have your approval to sulk around all day, wallowing in sadness or—whatever. But you said you'd let me be!" Babs protested.

"I said you could sulk. But I mentioned nothing about project partners," Cassie argued.

"Well, _you _don't have a partner!" Babs pointed out.

Cassie surveyed the room for a fleeting second before walking off. "Hey, Jaime! You're my partner," she called. She sat down next to the mystified boy deemed Jaime, not waiting for a response.

Babs sighed in exasperation.

"Hey, Babs?" a voice that was unmistakably Dick's said.

She turned around to see the infuriatingly attractive reason for her chagrin. "Yeah?"

"Do you wanna be partners?"

From her peripheral vision, Babs could perceive an elated Cassie silently cheering her on and nodding vigorously. "Uh, sure," she answered. Dick sat himself in the desk next to her.

Throughout the rest of the period, they conversed—or Dick talked to her, rather. Babs simply listened and worked diligently on their project. To her relief, he brought nothing up about their run-in last night. Babs allowed herself to rest.

Unfortunately, all good things came to an end. "So, why did you run off like that last night?" Dick sat back on his chair, slinging his sinewy arm around the back of Babs's chair. It lingered close to her back, almost touching her.

"Why do you think?"

"You don't have to be embarrassed. I've humiliated myself tons of times. And most of them were in public," Dick said straightforwardly.

"Really?" The skepticism in her tone was prevalent.

"What? You don't believe me?"

"Well, can you blame me? You don't look like the type of person who gets embarrassed every day. Or, at all," Babs disclosed. She kept her eyes trained on the desk and prayed that Dick wasn't able to see the red flushing her face this very instant.

"So…what _do _I look like, then?" Dick inquired.

"Uh—I dunno, maybe…um, who knows?" Babs silently cursed herself for fumbling with her words—yet again. But then again, how could she think straight with Dick staring intently at her, with his eyebrows creased in mild amusement? "I guess you look like yourself. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"Interesting answer," he mused. "So, what exactly am _I _then? If I look like myself, what does 'myself' look like?"

Babs glared at him with an air of annoyance. "You look like yourself, okay? End of conversation."

"No, it's not the end—" The bell cut his words short.

"I think it is," she said. Babs gathered the scattered papers on her desk hastily before scurrying as fast as she could out of that room. She stuffed her papers in her bag while an overjoyed Cassie caught up to her.

"Soooo," she started, "how's the project going? How's your _partner _doing?"

"Cassie, you are a hundred percent _delusional_!" Babs shrieked with a scowl. "Why did you abandon me to work with someone else?"

"I just wanted you to get a chance to speak with him at least. I wanted to give you the chance to get to know him better, and—I don't know, I just wanted to help," Cassie said. "Either way, I did it for your benefit! Please forgive me?"

Babs sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today. "Okay, it's fine. But I'm still too ashamed to even look at him. He basically questioned me earlier, and I stumbled _again_. I embarrassed myself even further," she mumbled.

"Well, look on the bright side. At least you can't embarrass yourself any further." Cassie's remark elicited yet another glower.

"Yes. You always know the right thing to say," Babs managed through clenched teeth.

"Yep, that's why you're my friend!" Cassie exclaimed brightly, socking Babs on the shoulder.

* * *

Zatanna walked out of her math class, a pleased bounce barely perceivable in her gait. She clutched her quiz in her hand tightly, as if it would dissipate right from her fingertips. She'd gotten a B+ on the quiz, much to her revelation. Zatanna couldn't remember the last time when she'd scored as high as this. She couldn't remember the last time when there had been more check marks than fat, red slashes.

Dick caught up to her in the hallway. "Hey Zee," he greeted, tossing an arm around her shoulders. "What're you so happy about? Wait, let me guess. You're happy because _I'm _here, right?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Of _course_," she chuckled.

Dick eyed the paper she was gripping. "Oh, how'd you do on your quiz?"

"Okay, brace yourself…I got an eighty-nine!" she exclaimed happily.

"Really? Your tutoring really worked—but from what I gathered, you and Babs didn't really do much math, did you?"

"Shut up," Zatanna laughed.

"Well, congrats." Dick kissed her quickly on the cheek, pulling her closer to him. "Oh, by the way, can I have Babs's number?"

Her face scrunched up in confusion. "Why?"

"She's my partner for this stupid History project," he explained, already pulling his phone out.

"Um, sure." Zatanna told him her number.

"I'll see you later, Zee." Dick waved and raced off, leaving a baffled Zatanna in his wake.

* * *

**A/N: Okie dokie, so thank you to anyone who followed or favorited and to speedreader1999, midnightmoon321, Makorra123, HipstaGurlxoxo and a Guest for reviewing. Much appreciated. :')**

**Also, I have to apologize again for the awkwardly written dialogue and interactions. I'm just not very good at how humans communicate, I guess? **

**And I know that Cassie's only fourteen and she's like four years younger than Babs and Dick and Zee and everyone, but remember, this is an AU, and basically everything else is inaccurate as well so… yeah. Um I talk too much.**


	5. Chapter 5

An unfamiliar number flashed bright on her phone screen. Babs groaned, not even bothering to cover her annoyance up. "Who is this?" she said sharply into the receiver, impatiently tapping her pinky on the phone.

"Whoa, hello Miss Congeniality," the voice said sardonically.

Babs rolled her eyes in impatience. "Tell me who you are or I'll hang up."

The anonymous somebody on the other end of the line chuckled. "It's Dick, from school. I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up at the library or something. You know, to work on our project or…something."

She let out a sigh. "Oh. It's only you. Um, sure why don't we talk later though. I'm kind of waiting for something," Babs said with as much tolerance as she was capable of mustering up.

"Sure. I'll text you later or something," Dick said. Babs could barely hear his "bye" due to the fact that she'd hung up so abruptly. The ire she had been bottling up during her ephemeral conversation with Dick burst out. She clutched her hair in distress and raced to her room. Collapsing facedown on the bed, Babs reached up a cool hand to her forehead to assuage the massive migraine that was definite to come. She glared at the note that her father had left her on the kitchen counter. _I'll be home before you fall asleep, promise – love, Dad. _

Babs could tell by the messy pen strokes and crumpled paper that it had been written in haste. Rolling her eyes, she tore the paper into shreds and discarded the pieces into the garbage can without so much as a second thought. James Gordon was a busy man—Babs knew that. But his job as the esteemed head of police caused him to stray away from home. For the past five months, he rarely was home. And when he was, it was usually for five hours of sleep, a run-in with Babs and then off to work. He'd come home just to continue the cycle once more.

Even though the note should've purported something to look forward to, Babs found it hard to believe that after months of being gut-wrenchingly neglected, she would be able to see and maybe even speak to her dad for over fifteen minutes. The mundane history homework and pencil lay uselessly on her bed. "I'll be home before you fall asleep," Babs muttered sourly. That could mean he'd maybe catch a glimpse of Babs for _maybe_ one minute before her eyes closed shut and he left for the night. She shook her head and remained sitting stoically on her bed, legs stretched out and hair unkempt.

The sound of tires hitting gravel was faint, but sure. Babs's face scrunched up in utter confusion and she raced to the window, pressing her eyes to the glass. "That can't be Dad…" But the slim, tall figure exiting the car told otherwise. It was James Gordon with a trace of a smile on his face. Babs faced a gamut of emotions in less than ten seconds. At first she was skeptical. It was too good to be true. Her father? Home before eleven? Doubtful.

Then she was elated. It was her father, coming home to rest and speak with his daughter—something he hadn't done in a long time.

But then she appeared livid. After all this time, five months, he just paraded into her room, out of the blue.

Over all, Babs was just plain _confused_. Of all times, why did he choose _now_ to return home?

She sighed, a plethora of emotions ensconced by that one exhale. Babs felt her legs involuntarily move towards the door to greet her father. He smiled on the other side of the glass and Babs had to fight to suppress the reluctant grin she was working up. She slowly opened the door and for a second just stood there, unsure of what to do. "Um, hi Dad," she greeted.

"Babs," he smiled. Her father grabbed her and hugged her. Babs hugged back; letting go of any inkling of resent she had ever felt for his constant absence. They walked into the house and James quickly deposited his work items on the couch. "I'm starving. Did you eat dinner yet?"

Babs shook her head, signaling a no. "Do you want to get a pizza or something?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," he nodded, reaching for the phone. As he ordered a large cheese pizza for the two of them, Babs silently screamed. Her father was _finally _home. He was finally spending time with her, and they were finally together. All the begrudging intentions she had prior to actually _seeing _him dissipated and Babs wanted nothing more than to have a normal conversation with her dad again. "So, how's school?"

"Uh, you know. It's school. Boring." She made a face.

"What about the people? Are you fitting in well at Gotham?" he asked.

"Yeah I guess," Babs shrugged.

"Tell me about your friends."

"Well, there's this girl named Cassie. I met her the first day and she's really—"

"Nice?"

"No, _weird_. She's so weird and crazy and I swear she's never tired. She has a weird penchant for vocabulary words. Like, she uses words like 'rubbernecking', 'ailurophile', 'cynosure', 'ebullience', and 'imbroglio' all the time and half the time, I have no clue what she's trying to say," Babs chuckled.

"Well, what do those words mean?"

"Rubbernecking means to stare at, ailurophile means a cat lover, cynosure means the center of attention, ebullience means brightness, and imbroglio means a complication," Babs informed.

"Hmm. Smart girl," James commented.

"And there's another girl, Zatanna. Mrs. Dennel, the math teacher, assigned me to be her tutor because she was apparently failing math. So I went over to her house—which is _huge _and _gorgeous_ by the way!—and she randomly turned on the radio and we began dancing and we're friends," Babs said, deliberately leaving out the events that had happened afterwards.

"Forgive me for asking this," he said, chuckling slightly, "are there any boys there?"

"Dad!" Babs blushed profusely.

James raised his eyebrows in mild amusement. "Is this a yes?"

"No! Well, yeah, but—oh, I don't know." Babs sighed, burying her face in her hands. She peeked at her father's expecting yet warm expression and felt compelled to spill everything about Dick. "There's this guy. His name is Dick Grayson, and I completely embarrassed myself, heh. But then, the other day in History class, Cassie basically forced me to be his partner. So, we are partners now. And I'm still too scared to actually look at his face because I will forever be branded by the humiliation I was subject to!" She flourished her speech off with a dramatic sigh.

He chortled lightly. "As long as he doesn't have any tattoos, he's fine."

Babs smiled. "He doesn't—or at least not that I know of…" The doorbell rang, the sound ricocheting off the walls that didn't seem so empty anymore. Her smile grew larger by the second and she rested her chin on her hands, tapping the table nonchalantly. She'd really missed her father and now he was back. Voices echoed in the hallway. One was recognizable as James's and the other was unidentifiable. It sounded strangely demanding, though—quite unlike your average pizza delivery guy.

A harried father rushed back into the kitchen, a look of distress evident on his face.

"Dad? What's going on? Who was that?" Babs asked, although she had a good idea who.

"Babs, I'm so sorry. There's a huge case at work—they really need me there. I'm gutted about this, honestly. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise!" he said while gathering his things from the living room. James planted a quick kiss on Babs's cheek before bounding out.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too," Babs whispered. Misery welled up in the form of tears. The door slammed shut, the sound resonated in her ears. Suddenly her whole body felt leaden as she trudged to her room. It was too good to be true. It always was.

* * *

Beyoncé played rambunctiously. Dick groaned, clawing at his phone. Wally had probably reset his ringtone and called him just so he would notice.

"Argh, Wally I swear—" He was cut short by something that sounded like…crying?

"Dick…" He froze. It was Babs.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: so um, thank you so so so so much to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited. Your support means the world and I know that like no one reads these things but seriously. **

**Er, get ready to read the most cheesiest chapter like ever because it's all cliche and shit. asdfhjkl**

* * *

Dick heard heavy breathing through the phone. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. Her words came out in a jumble. "—I'msorryIdon'tevenknowwhyIcalledtobehonestIguess itwasjustasuddenimpulseorsomethingandI'mreallysorr yforbotheringyoubutumwowI'mramblingughI'lljusthang uprightnow—"

"Babs, calm down," Dick commanded with benevolence laced in his tone. "Tell me what's wrong."

No reply.

"Look, if you don't answer, I'm just gonna have to go your house and question you in person. It's your choice," he said, adding in a detached shrug. Dick smacked his forehead when he realized she couldn't see him.

"Um, how exactly are you going to find how where I live?" Babs inquired skeptically, momentarily forgetting her previously gloomy state.

He shrugged again and subsequently rolled his eyes. "I have my ways," Dick said. "Wait, no, that sounded so creepy! I—ugh."

Babs let out a teary chuckle. "It did sound stalkerish."

"You know before I embarrass myself any further, I'm going to hang up," Dick said. "Oh, by the way, I'll be at your house in around five minutes!"

"Wait, DON'T YOU DARE—" He hung up before he could hear Babs finish her sentence.

* * *

The doorbell rang exactly five minutes and thirty-six seconds after Dick had hung up. Babs trudged to the door, keeping a desultory pace. She didn't know what to expect. All she knew was that the person standing behind the door wouldn't be her father—and if it were, she'd most likely slam it in his face.

Babs peered surreptitiously outside. Much to her chagrin, Dick had pressed his face to the glass beforehand, causing Babs to jump backwards when she saw his face. Babs hurried to the doorknob and opened it.

"Um, that was quick," Babs remarked.

"I told you I'd be here in around five minutes," Dick shrugged. "Are your parents home?"

Babs's face immediately turned sour as she opened the door further to allow Dick to come in. "No." Her voice was pinched. Without any additional explanation, she commenced to walk down the hall. Dick followed promptly, surveying the humble house as he did so.

"So, where are they?"

Her eyes were trained on the ground. "Work."

"Work?"

"Yes." She bit her lip.

"Well, have you done all your homework yet?"

"Yeah…why?"

"Because your parents aren't home to ask you, I've decided to take the responsible role and make sure you've finished before I kidnap you," Dick said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Ah. So you're going to—wait, what? _Kidnap_?"

"Yep. Let's go."

* * *

"You know, I still really don't understand why you felt the need to ask me if I'd done all my homework before taking me against my will to the mall," Babs noted.

"Just playing the role of a good parent," Dick smiled. "Hey, remember that day in History class when you were so intent on believing that I'd never humiliated myself?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm gonna prove you wrong!" he announced, running into the nearest store.

Babs stood there, dumbfounded before sprinting after him. "Wait! What are you doing!?" She followed him. The both of them were running at top speed, causing many disgruntled passers-by to shout, roll their eyes, and shoot confused expressions at them. "Dick! Wait!" He turned left but at the last moment pivoted to the right, causing Babs to stumble and stop momentarily. "Ugh!" she rolled her eyes and continued chasing after him.

He stopped in front of a bakery.

Babs caught up to him, still in the midst of catching her breath. "Why—why would you—?" She regained her composure and promptly socked Dick in the arm. "Is that your way of 'embarrassing' yourself? Running in the mall?" She smirked. "If that's what you count as humiliating, that means I was right about you not getting embarrassed."

"That? No, that wasn't humiliating at all." Dick began to walk into the bakery, looking around the sparsely populated room. The scent of freshly baked pastries lingered in the air and Babs could feel herself getting hungry.

"Are we here to eat something?" She turned around to see an empty place where Dick had just been literally two seconds ago. He was sauntering around the open space, examining the cakes on display before stopping short in front of a large, ostentatious wedding cake. It was magnificent to say at the least. The frosting had been carefully applied and Babs could perceive a human profile artfully drawn on the cake. But how would Dick humiliate himself with a cake?

"Hug me!" he screeched, lunging forward pugnaciously. Babs's mouth dropped in complete and sheer horror. Dick's arms were spread wide and he did indeed look like he was about to hug the cake. His face met the white surface and the rest of his body followed. Bits and pieces of pastry splatted on her face, but Babs was laughing too hard to care. The shoppers around them all had faces contorted with complete perplexity and disbelief—some even looked amused.

Dick emerged from the smithereens that were once a delicious cake and stood with a sizable piece in his hand. He beamed triumphantly and gobbled the food down in one bit before prancing over daintily to where Babs was standing.

A fuming employee came running up towards them. He was glaring at Dick in particular. "Excuse me. Would you care to please enlighten me on why you dunked yourself into the cake I spent a week preparing!?"

"Uh, I'm really sorry—I tripped."

If looks could kill, Dick would've dropped dead in mere seconds. The baker shot them one last nasty glare and a malevolent scowl before stalking off, muttering about annoying kids.

As soon as he was out of sight, Dick turned expectantly towards Babs. "So? Was that humiliating enough for you?"

"Well, it certainly entertained me," Babs chuckled.

"Glad it did. So _now _do you believe that I've embarrassed myself many times in public?"

"Hmm…not exactly. I mean, the whole falling into the cake bit was really entertaining and humiliating, but you did it on purpose," Babs pointed out.

"So we're going to stick around in the mall until I somehow embarrass myself by accident?"

Babs pursed her lips as they continued walking forward. They were nearing an elaborate water fountain and a simple, yet efficient plan sprung up to her on a whim. "Yes," she answered, "but it might not take as long as you think." A devious smile crept its way onto her face.

Dick froze. "Wait what are you going to—" Babs thrusting him forward into the fountain effectually cut him off. The contact of his body meeting the water caused Babs (and many other passers-by) to get soaked. He surfaced, spitting out water as he did so.

"There," Babs giggled. "Now you've officially embarrassed yourself in public."

Dick evinced a sour face. "Great. Now help me out." He reached for Babs's hand and just as she'd begun to pull him out, Dick heaved her forward with all his might. She ended up falling on top of him clumsily. Babs shrieked and floundered around, more out of hilarity than anything else. It was only after a couple seconds did she realize how close her face was to Dick's. Her breathing increased rapidly as she endeavored to climb out of the fountain without putting them in a potentially awkward situation. She stood, and this time she didn't offer her hand.

"I learned my lesson, and now you're going to have to pull yourself out," Babs said. Her clothes clung to her skin, her hair was messy and frazzled, and she was freezing. But as Dick stood up as well and stepped over next to her, all her complaints dissipated.

"Well, that was fun," he remarked, pulling off his sweater. He wrung it dry, water splattering the ground as he did so. Dick proffered the piece of clothing to Babs. "You look like you're about to get hypothermia."

Babs gladly accepted and quickly put it on, a warmth bubbling within her body. Her heart leapt and she tightened it around herself. "Thank you."

Dick shrugged it off. "No big deal."

They walked out of the mall, eliciting flummoxed stares and whispers from others. They were drenched. Dick's sweater was far too large for her, but Babs thought it was an ideal fit. She marveled at how crappy and melancholy she'd felt earlier, but when Dick came to cheer her up, she easily forgot her previous burdens and troubles. A smile came to her face just thinking about it.

_What a perfect way to end a terrible night. _


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okie dokie, so before I start this, I'd like to clear something up. "Rocky" from the earlier chapters is Raquel Ervine/Rocket. I guess I have this weird notion that Rocky is short for Raquel or something, and just involuntarily started using it. I apologize if it threw anyone off! So basically, Rocky is Raquel. **

**This chapter is like, super duper short so I apologize PROFUSELY, once again. The next one may or may not be up by tomorrow. I don't know, but either way, it will be longer. **

**Thank you for reviewing/following/favoriting!**

"Pulchritude."

"Beauty. Okay, um, ennui."

"Er…I know that—that's um, excitement?"

Cassie looked at her friend from over the flashcards. "Actually, it means boredom or listlessness."

"Oh," Babs replied absently, shuffling the words. "Erstwhile."

"At one time," Cassie responded easily. "Fugacious."

"Um, fugacious means…" Babs tapped her fingers zealously on her books as she struggled to remember the definition. "…Excitement?"

"Let's try another. Insouciance."

"…Er, is that…excitement?" The look on Cassie's face told Babs that she was wrong—yet again.

"Fugacious means fleeting, insouciance means nonchalance," Cassie informed. "Harangue."

"Oh, I know this one. It's, um, excitem—?" Babs cut herself off after seeing Cassie's exasperated expression. "You know, we should probably stop now. It's not helping either of us."

"Sure," Cassie said.

The two girls abandoned their books on Babs's bed and strolled outside of her house into the crisp, autumn air. Leaves were rampant and scattered all over the ground. Each step Babs took elicited a loud crunching sound.

"So, where were you last night? I kept on trying to call you, but you didn't pick up," Cassie said.

Babs pursed her lips. "Last night was…eventful to say at the very least."

"What happened?"

"Well, Dick happened. He jumped into a wedding cake, and then I pushed him into a fountain?" Babs turned to see an elated Cassie smirking at her. "But, he basically only talked to me because he pitied me!"

"I don't think so. I mean, if it were me, I probably wouldn't bother jumping into wedding cakes for people I don't like."

* * *

Zatanna clutched her hair in distress and paced around her room. Her phone was jammed in between her cheek and her shoulder. The unwelcoming dial tone sounded again in her ears. She felt like it was taunting her.

"Hey, Dick, it's Zatanna. I was just wondering where you were and if you were all right because, you know, you haven't really talked to me in like a couple days." In aggravation, Zatanna clicked the end button and threw the phone on her bed. Falling backwards on the bed, she involuntarily stared at the calendar on her wall. Dick hadn't made any contact with her whatsoever for four days.

Did she do something wrong?

Was Dick okay?

Zatanna was at a loss for ideas and had no idea why Dick was ignoring her—or if he actually _was _avoiding her.

Her phone rang from the bed, and Zatanna lunged for it. However, she was disappointed. Rocky was calling her. "Hello?" she mumbled.

"Well, hello to you too, Miss Amicable," Rocky said in return, noting Zatanna's annoyed tone. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting weird lately," Rocky stated. "And don't even try to deny it—I'm your best friend."

"Rocky—I don't know. Dick has been ignoring me for like four days and I'm worried. I'm not sure if he's deliberately doing it or…" Her voice trailed off.

"Zee, don't even worry about it. Dicky-poo adores you," Rocky said without a second thought. Zatanna bit her lip. She wished that she could just shrug off the matter so nonchalantly like Rocky could.

"I'm not sure," was all Zatanna said in response. There was a moment's silence before the home phone rang. "Rocky, I need to go. Call you later." She hung up, not feeling even the slightest bit satisfied and picked up the home phone.

She was met with the worst news of her life. Zatanna clenched the phone with all her might, scrunched up her face in confusion, and began to cry—all in under ten seconds. Letting out a gut-wrenching sob, Zatanna fell to the ground. All the strength she had held on to that day dissipated. She crumbled under the stress and pressure of everything. Every ounce of composure she might have once felt slipped away, like sand falling from her fingertips. _"Your father passed away."_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: so um this chapter where do I start? I apologize once more because I'm relentlessly torturing Dick, Zee, and Babs. Thankfully, I'll be wrapping up this story in three or four (?) chapters or so. **

**well, thank you for the lovely reviews and I would absolutely adore if you would please review this chapter too? afsdfasdjfn, so onward with the story!**

* * *

Zatanna buried her head in her hands. The fluorescent lighting of the hospital beat harshly on her back. Looking over to her right, she saw her father's now lifeless body resting peacefully on the bed. He'd just dropped dead, apparently. There was nothing to prevent and it wasn't expected. Giovanni Zatara looked like he was simply sleeping, but he would never open his eyes again.

"Zee?" A shadowy silhouette was barely perceivable at the door. He or she stepped out into the light, revealing a scruffy looking youth with an apologetic look on his face.

"Oh. Hi," Zatanna said. There was a tint of ice to her tone. She crossed her legs as if there was nothing wrong and her father wasn't lying next to her, dead.

Dick sighed before coming forth to rest a reassuring hand on Zatanna's shoulder. His touch was feather light, but she felt like she was about to crumble under all the pressure and stress she'd been experiencing this past week. "Listen, Zee, hear me out on this. I know that I've been…aloof these few days and—"

"_Aloof_? Is that the word you're using? Dick, you've been completely ignoring me for days. I would've felt better if you had simply told me that you didn't want to be around me," Zatanna chastised punitively. She turned so her back was facing him.

"I know! I've been terrible, and I know that. I should've been there for you but I wasn't. I'm sorry. I was wrong and I wasn't the person you needed…but I'm here for you now. I was dealing with some stuff, and I was too caught up in myself to realize you were hurting too. Zatanna, I'm sorry," Dick said. He placed his hand on hers.

Zatanna took a deep breath. His hand fit perfectly and it was warm. They were comforting. They felt safe…

But they were ephemeral. And Zatanna knew what she had to do.

"Dick, I know that you're sorry. And I forgive you," she bit her lip—here came the hard part, "but I need to handle things myself. I can't act all nonchalant about this, and I can't rely on a faulty promise that has a fifty percent chance of collapsing on itself. I'm sorry, too. But I can't need you anymore—I don't need you anymore."

The words hung in the air heavily. Hot tears pricked at the back of Zatanna's eyes, but she knew that she'd made the right choice. This was for her (and Dick's) benefit.

"But Zee, I—"

"There's really nothing left to say, Dick. I'm distraught about this too, and I can see that you are too. You and I both need to learn and move on from this," she whispered, eyes brimming with tears. "You should move on."

"…I guess. I'm sorry it didn't work out, Zatanna," Dick sighed heavily. "Goodnight." He stood and trod slowly to the door. Before he left, he turned around and gave her one last sad smile. "Also, you should smile, too, Zee. You deserve it more than me." Dick turned around to exit the room, leaving a melancholic Zatanna in his wake.

Dick kept his eyes on the road, yet he wasn't really seeing it. He clutched the wheel like his last lifeline. Dick wondered how someone could look so beautiful, even while they were so sad. Zatanna looked so fragile and frail back there—she looked like she could be knocked down by a meager gust of wind. But Dick knew better than to judge by outward appearances, especially when it came to Zee. Sure, she was hurting. In spite of that, she was still so strong. Maybe the wind _could _force her to topple over, but Zatanna would fight until she was standing upright again. She'd always stand on both her feet in the end.

It was one of that _many _things Dick admired and loved about her. It was also one of the things that he had let slip out of his hands, like water seeping through a crack.

Even though he would inevitably miss her sparingly, Dick wouldn't—and couldn't—bring himself to resent Zee's decision. He should have been there for her, but he wasn't. Zatanna deserved somebody better than he was. Dick respected her and her choice. It was the least he could do.

He maneuvered the car smoothly into the parking lot of the library, glancing hastily at the time. It was 6:10. He was supposed to meet Babs at around six, but Dick's head was too scattered to take notice. Walking into the quietude of the library was like plunging headfirst into an ice-cold pool; the tranquility offered a great contrast to his uproarious mind.

Babs sat up as soon as she saw him, waving a hand in salutation. Dick returned the greeting with a half-hearted smile that he didn't even bother with making it look real. He meandered over, taking a seat next to her and arranging his books on the table.

"Why are you pouty?" she inquired casually, skimming through the sizeable textbook Dick had just placed on the desk.

"Rough night," he replied curtly.

"Oh. Mind talking about it?"

"Zatanna broke up with me."

Silence.

"…Oh."

Dick kept his gaze trained on the ground. "It was my fault. I should've been there for her, but I wasn't. I wasn't there for her because…" His voice was now a whisper.

Babs relinquished her textbook onto the table and scooted closer, offering a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Dick," her voice was shaky, "after I do this, please don't hate me. I feel like I have to, and I know I'll regret this later."

"Babs, what are you—?" He was cut off effectively. Babs had pressed her lips to his in a chaste, yet deeply arousing kiss.

She pulled away, obviously abashed. (Dick couldn't decipher whether it was a good thing or bad.)

"I'm sorry." Babs hurriedly gathered her things and sped out of the library before Dick could even fathom what had just happened. His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as he followed suit, speeding out the door.

The night was freezing. Invisible icicles imbued into his skin as he shivered in search for Babs. A car whizzed by. The driver had long, auburn hair tied up chaotically into a ponytail. Dick would have noted her blue eyes as beautiful if they weren't filled with tragic tears. She was crying—sobbing, really.

Dick and Babs were very different. That night, Babs had allowed her distress to come out fully-fledged in tears and broken sobs. However, Dick made it his priority to not shed a tear. He felt that his burdens were his and _only _his to cope with. He didn't want anybody else to see the hurt he was going through. It was his problem.

But in the face of anguish and agony, there are some times where desperate measures were necessary. So, that night, Dick begrudgingly tolerated the salty tears that came down his face. They were sparse, but that didn't stop him from obsessively endeavoring to wipe them away before they could reach his chin.

Sometimes it didn't work, and a drop would descend and land on his leg. Whenever that happened, Dick would unclench his hand from its fist and attempted to rub the drop the tear had left. The action was in vain, of course.


End file.
